New mental health unit opens in Downpatrick
By News Northern Ireland, ,

A new specialist mental health unit within Lecale Lodge Care Home, Downpatrick, has officially opened.

The scheme is a partnership project with the South Eastern Health and Social Care (HSC) Trust and is designed to facilitate the discharge of long stay patients to a community care setting from Downshire Hospital.

Having provided £250,000 capital investment, Four Seasons Health Care (FSHC) have worked collaboratively with the South Eastern HSC Trust to create a 15 bed single room specialist service, designed to provide an environment where effective and personalised care and recovery is available to people whose current needs could not be met independently in the community following resettlement from Downshire Hospital.

Registered by the Regulation and Quality Improvement Authority (RQIA), Slieve Patrick is now home to 13 people.

Officially opening the unit today, Heath Minister Jim Wells said: “It has been a pleasure to visit Slieve Patrick to see for myself this fantastic new service and meet with staff, who are dedicated to providing excellent care to some of the most vulnerable people in our society.

“The core ethos of the unit is recognising that each individual is unique and providing support to maximise independence, maximise recovery and reduce risk and social inclusion. It is encouraging to see there is a strong focus on promoting physical health and developing skills to boost self-esteem and transform the lives of residents.

“The Slieve Patrick unit has added a further dimension to the existing care services at the Lecale site here in Downpatrick, where dementia nursing care, continuing care for frail elderly and specialist care for younger people with physical and learning disabilities are already provided.”

Brendan Whittle, Director of Adults Services at the South Eastern HSC Trust said: “The Trust is delighted to achieve the resettlement of all long stay patients from the Downshire Hospital. This is wonderful news. Behind this fact are many personal stories as people have moved from shared dormitory accommodation to their own space. The Trust has welcomed the contribution of Four Seasons in making this a reality at Slieve Patrick, and is pleased to see how quickly residents have settled in.”